Syfy judge raises ‘Dead’

Realism of zombies sets makeup apart, says Glenn

The field of Emmy nominees in the prosthetic makeup category is crowded and diverse but a judge from the makeup competition show “Face Off” gives the clear edge to one show for their unique approach to a classic Hollywood creature.

“All the shows that were nominated clearly deserve to be there,” says Glenn Hetrick, who put contestants on the Syfy skein through their paces. “But ‘The Walking Dead’ took zombies to new level by making them seem real and believable instead of just something we’ve already seen a hundred times.”

Hetrick, who owns the makeup house Optic Nerve Studios, believes the look was created as much by what the show’s makeup and prosthetics designers avoided as by what they did.

“They didn’t use the raccoon-eyed looking appliances on the actors and stuck to things that kept the zombies looking like the real people they once were,” says Hetrick. “That makes a huge difference.”